Communication device for vehicle and remote communication system

Abstract

To provide a communication device for a vehicle and a remote communication system capable of dealing with problems that occur when using an automatic toll collection system even when a driver is not present in a vehicle capable of automatic driving.SOLUTION: A communication device 1 for a vehicle according to an embodiment includes a road-to-vehicle communication unit 10a that is mounted on a vehicle 2 capable of automatic driving and controls communication with a roadside device 31 of an ETC system 3, a remote communication unit 10b that controls communication with a remote monitoring device 41 that remotely monitors the vehicle 2, an ETC processing unit 10c that executes processing related to use of the ETC system 3, and a fault processing unit 10d that detects a fault related to use of the ETC system 3, notifies the remote monitoring device 41 of the detected fault, and executes processing for dealing with the fault in accordance with an instruction from the remote monitoring device 41.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a vehicle communication device and a remote communication system. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, when using an electronic toll collection system in a vehicle, it is common to equip the vehicle with a communication device that can accept an IC card. However, there is a possibility that the IC card may have poor contact due to vibrations while the vehicle is running, resulting in a problem such as the IC card being unable to be authenticated. For this reason, for example, Patent Document 1 describes a method in which if the IC card cannot be authenticated, the user is prompted to insert or remove the IC card, allowing the user to deal with the problem. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-102844 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, when a vehicle capable of automated driving at Level 4 is unmanned, there is a problem in that even if a malfunction occurs when using the electronic toll collection system, it is not possible to take the conventional measures that assume a human presence, such as inserting and removing an IC card. Therefore, even if a minor malfunction occurs that can be resolved by inserting and removing an IC card, there is a risk that the malfunction cannot be resolved and the toll gate will be closed.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a vehicle communication device and a remote communication system that can deal with problems that occur when using an automatic toll collection system even when there is no driver present in an automatically driven vehicle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The vehicle communication device (1) according to the embodiment is a device mounted on a vehicle (2) capable of automatic driving, and includes a road-to-vehicle communication unit (10a) that controls communication with a roadside unit (31) of an automatic toll collection system (3), a remote communication unit (10b) that controls communication with a remote monitoring device (41) that remotely monitors the vehicle, an ETC processing unit (10c) that executes processing related to the use of the automatic toll collection system, and a fault processing unit (10d) that detects a fault related to the use of the automatic toll collection system, notifies the remote monitoring device of the detected fault, and executes processing to deal with the fault in accordance with instructions from the remote monitoring device regarding the notified fault.

[0007] In addition, the remote communication system (4) according to the embodiment includes a remote monitoring device (41) that remotely monitors a vehicle (2) capable of automatic driving, a road-to-vehicle communication unit (10a) that is mounted on the vehicle and controls communication with a roadside unit (31) of the automatic toll collection system (3), a remote communication unit (10b) that controls communication with the remote monitoring device, an ETC processing unit (10c) that executes processing related to the use of the automatic toll collection system, and a vehicle device (1) that has a fault processing unit (10d) that detects malfunctions related to the use of the automatic toll collection system, notifies the remote monitoring device of the detected malfunction, and executes processing to deal with the malfunction in accordance with instructions from the remote monitoring device regarding the notified malfunction. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle communication device and a remote communication system according to a first embodiment; [Figure 2] Diagram 1 explaining the processing by the vehicle communication device [Figure 3] Diagram 2 explaining the processing by the vehicle communication device [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining a process for periodically checking for defects according to the second embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle communication device and a remote communication system. [Figure 6] A diagram explaining the procedure for remotely setting up an ETC card DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, several embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that parts that are substantially common to the embodiments will be given the same reference numerals and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0010] (First embodiment) As shown in FIG. 1, a vehicle communication device 1 of this embodiment is mounted on a vehicle 2, and is capable of short-range communication with an electronic toll collection system (hereinafter referred to as an ETC system 3 (Electronic Toll Collection system)). In this embodiment, the vehicle 2 is assumed to be capable of driving at level 4 autonomous driving without a driver. This level 4 autonomous driving means that the vehicle can drive in a limited area that meets specific driving environment conditions, with an automatic driving device taking over all driving operations. Note that FIG. 1 shows only some of the devices mounted on the vehicle 2.

[0011] The vehicle communication device 1 is also capable of long-distance communication with a remote monitoring device 41 that remotely monitors the vehicle 2 capable of autonomous driving. The remote monitoring device 41 monitors the vehicle 2 and also handles any malfunctions that may occur when the ETC system 3 is in use, as will be described later. In other words, the remote monitoring device 41, together with the vehicle communication device 1, constitutes a remote communication system 4 that handles any malfunctions that may occur when the ETC system 3 is in use. Note that the remote monitoring device 41 monitors not just one vehicle, but also other vehicles 2 owned by an operator, for example, and stores information about a large number of vehicles 2.

[0012] The vehicle communication device 1 includes a control unit 10, a storage unit 11, a connection port 12, an insertion / removal mechanism 13, a locking mechanism 14, and an in-vehicle communication unit 15. The control unit 10 is configured by a computer having a CPU (not shown) and executes programs to control the entire vehicle communication device 1. The storage unit 11 is configured by, for example, a semiconductor storage element and stores programs to be executed by the control unit 10 and various data.

[0013] In this embodiment, the connection port 12 is configured as a so-called card reader. Hereinafter, an IC card for using the ETC system 3 will be referred to as an ETC card 5, and the connection port 12 reads various information stored in the ETC card 5 and writes various information to the ETC card 5. This connection port 12 can simulate a state in which the ETC card 5 has been removed by turning off the power from the control unit 10.

[0014] The insertion / removal mechanism 13 is composed of a rotor (not shown) and moves the ETC card 5 in the insertion and removal directions. In other words, the insertion / removal mechanism 13 is driven based on instructions from the control unit 10, allowing the ETC card 5 to be physically inserted and removed even when the vehicle is unattended.

[0015] The locking mechanism 14 permits or prohibits the insertion and removal of the ETC card 5, and switches between an insertion and removal permitted state that permits the insertion and removal of the ETC card 5 and an insertion and removal prohibited state that prohibits the insertion and removal of the ETC card 5 based on instructions from the control unit 10. This locking mechanism 14 prevents the ETC card 5 from falling off due to vibrations while traveling or from being stolen from an unmanned vehicle 2. The locking mechanism 14 can be realized by permitting or prohibiting the operation of the insertion and removal mechanism 13 described above, but it can also be realized, for example, by providing a cover member that opens and closes the card insertion hole and locking the cover member physically or electrically.

[0016] The in-vehicle communication unit 15 is an interface that communicates with various ECUs mounted on the vehicle 2 via the in-vehicle network 16. ECU is an abbreviation for Electronic Control Unit. Although FIG. 1 shows one vehicle control ECU 17 for the sake of simplicity, in reality, a plurality of ECUs are mounted on the vehicle 2, which are connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other and cooperate with each other to control the vehicle 2.

[0017] The vehicle control ECU 17 controls drive system devices 19 such as the accelerator, brakes, and steering wheel based on information acquired from sensors 18 such as a speed sensor, an acceleration sensor, a camera, millimeter-wave radar, LiDAR, GPS, and GNSS. This vehicle control ECU 17 corresponds to an automatic driving device for realizing automatic driving level 4. Note that the exemplified sensors are just examples, and it is not necessary to provide all of them, and sensors other than those exemplified may also be provided.

[0018] The vehicle control ECU 17 also controls safety devices such as emergency flashers (hereinafter referred to as hazard lamps 20). The vehicle control ECU 17 also controls data communication devices such as a DCM 21 provided to monitor the autonomously driven vehicle 2. LiDAR stands for Light Detection And Ranging, GPS stands for Global Positioning System, GNSS stands for global navigation satellite system, and DCM 21 stands for Data Communication Module. The configuration of the vehicle control ECU 17 shown in FIG. 1 is an example, and the vehicle control ECU 17 may have other functions.

[0019] The control unit 10 of the vehicle communication device 1 is provided with functional units such as a road-to-vehicle communication unit 10a, a remote communication unit 10b, an ETC processing unit 10c, and a malfunction processing unit 10d. In this embodiment, each functional unit is realized by software by executing a program on a CPU. However, some or all of each functional unit can also be realized by hardware.

[0020] The road-to-vehicle communication unit 10a controls communication with the roadside device 31. The communication with the roadside device 31 is performed by wireless communication using the DSRC (Dedicated Short Range Communication) method via a roadside antenna 22 connected to a wireless communication circuit (not shown).

[0021] The remote communication unit 10b controls communication with the remote monitoring device 41. Communication with the remote monitoring device 41 is performed via a remote antenna 23 connected to a wireless communication circuit (not shown). In this embodiment, the remote communication unit 10b shares the DCM 21 that transmits information about the running state of the vehicle 2 to the remote monitoring device 41, and communicates information for dealing with problems that may occur when using the ETC system 3 (described later) with the remote monitoring device 41. However, a dedicated communication device may be provided in the vehicle communication device 1, or the vehicle communication device 1 may be connectable to a so-called cellular terminal so that communication with the remote monitoring device 41 is performed via the cellular terminal.

[0022] The ETC processing unit 10c executes various processes related to the use of the ETC system 3. For example, the ETC processing unit 10c executes processes such as authenticating the ETC card 5 and receiving information about tolls from the ETC system 3. The ETC processing unit 10c automatically executes processes to authenticate the ETC card 5 when the ETC card 5 is inserted, but it can also arbitrarily execute processes to authenticate the ETC card 5 based on instructions from the malfunction processing unit 10d.

[0023] The malfunction processing unit 10d detects malfunctions related to the use of the ETC system 3, notifies the remote monitoring device 41 of the detected malfunction, and executes various processes to deal with the malfunction in accordance with instructions from the remote monitoring device 41 regarding the notified malfunction. Specific malfunction handling will be described later, but for example, when the ETC processing unit 10c detects a malfunction in the authentication of the ETC card 5, it notifies the remote monitoring device 41 that a malfunction has occurred in the authentication of the ETC card 5, and upon receiving an instruction from the remote monitoring device 41 to re-authenticate the ETC card 5, it executes processes such as having the ETC processing unit 10c re-execute the process to authenticate the ETC card 5.

[0024] Furthermore, the malfunction processing unit 10d executes processing to enable a call between an administrator who manages the roadside unit 31 and the remote monitoring device 41 when a malfunction is detected via the speaker 24, microphone 25, camera 26, etc. connected to the vehicle communication device 1. This call is basically assumed to be conducted between the administrator and an operator who monitors the remote monitoring device 41, such as a designated automatic operation supervisor on the remote communication system 4 side. Note that the speaker 24, microphone 25, and camera 26 are not limited to those directly connected to the vehicle communication device 1, but may also be mounted in the vehicle 2 and controlled by another ECU and shared.

[0025] The remote monitoring device 41 includes a server-side control unit 42 that controls the entire remote monitoring device 41, a server-side communication unit 44 that controls communication with the vehicle communication device 1 via a server-side antenna 43, and the like. The server-side communication unit 44 also controls communication with the vehicle control ECU 17 in order to monitor the vehicle 2. The remote monitoring device 41 is also capable of direct communication with an operator server 32 provided by an operator of the ETC system 3 via a wide area communication network such as the Internet 6.

[0026] The remote monitoring device 41 is connected to a display unit 45 such as a display, an operation unit 46 such as a keyboard and a mouse, a speaker 47, a microphone 48, a camera 49, etc., and is capable of presenting information to an operator, inputting operations, and communicating with the administrator. The remote monitoring device 41 also enables communication with the administrator as necessary, such as when a malfunction is notified from the vehicle communication device 1.

[0027] The ETC system 3 includes a roadside unit 31 installed, for example, at the entrance or exit of a toll road. The roadside unit 31 includes a roadside control unit 33, a roadside communication unit 34 that controls communication with the vehicle communication device 1, and the like. The roadside control unit 33 is configured by a computer having a CPU (not shown) and controls the entire roadside unit 31 by executing a program. Specifically, the roadside control unit 33 performs processes related to the receipt and transmission of information for using the ETC system 3 with the vehicle communication device 1, and processes for operating an intercom 35 and a gate indicator 36. The roadside control unit 33 also controls communication with an operator server 32 provided by an operator that provides services using the ETC system 3.

[0028] The roadside communication unit 34 controls communication with the vehicle communication device 1 via a first antenna 37 and a second antenna 38. The first antenna 37 and the second antenna 38 are connected to a wireless communication circuit (not shown). The first antenna 37 and the second antenna 38 are installed at positions spaced apart from each other along the traveling direction of the vehicle 2 at an ETC gate for using the ETC system 3. Therefore, even if communication with the first antenna 37 fails when the vehicle communication device 1 passes through the ETC gate, the vehicle communication device 1 can reattempt communication with the second antenna 38.

[0029] The interphone 35 is composed of a microphone and a speaker (not shown) and enables communication between the operator and the manager. In this embodiment, the roadside unit 31 enables communication over the interphone 35 when it receives a communication request from the vehicle communication device 1 or when it receives a voice request for communication from the speaker 24 on the vehicle 2 side.

[0030] The gate indicator 36 is composed of, for example, an indicator or a traffic light indicating that the ETC lane at the entrance or exit of a toll road is an ETC lane where the ETC system 3 can be used. The gate indicator 36 presents ETC gate passage information to following vehicles, and when there is no problem with using the ETC system 3, it displays, for example, "ETC Only" or lights up a green light. On the other hand, when there is a problem with using the ETC system 3 or when the gate indicator 36 receives a malfunction notification from the vehicle communication device 1 as described below, it displays, for example, "Closed" or lights up a red light.

[0031] Next, the operation and effects of the above-described configuration will be described. As mentioned above, in the case of autonomous driving level 4, it is not possible to take the conventional approach of assuming a human presence, so even if a minor malfunction occurs that can be resolved by inserting and removing ETC card 5, for example, the malfunction cannot be resolved, and there is a risk that the ETC gate will be closed.

[0032] Therefore, the vehicle communication device 1 makes it possible to deal with problems that occur when using the electronic toll collection system even when the driver is not present, as follows. Below, the processing flow of the vehicle communication device 1 will be explained using the example of a situation where the driver passes through an ETC gate to use a toll road. Note that the following processing is performed by the above-mentioned processing units working together, but for simplicity, the following explanation will be centered on the vehicle communication device 1.

[0033] 2 when the vehicle communication device 1 is powered on, the vehicle communication device 1 executes the process shown in Fig. 2 to determine whether or not the communication area of ​​the ETC system 3 has been detected (S101). At this time, the vehicle communication device 1 determines that the communication area has been detected when communication with the roadside device 31 becomes possible as in the conventional case, and when an ETC gate or ETC lane is recognized based on ADAS (Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems) information acquired by the vehicle 2. This ADAS information is information acquired by the sensors 18, and is notified to the vehicle communication device 1 by the vehicle control ECU 17, for example, when an ETC gate is detected by a camera, or when it is determined that the vehicle 2 is located near an ETC gate by LiDAR or GNSS.

[0034] Therefore, by referring to the ADAS information, the vehicle communication device 1 can recognize that it is entering a communication area even if, for example, a malfunction in its own communication function prevents it from detecting the communication area. In other words, the vehicle communication device 1 can recognize that communication is not occurring in a location where communication should normally be occurring and that some malfunction has occurred in the communication function. Furthermore, by referring to the ADAS information, the vehicle communication device 1 can also recognize the presence or absence of other vehicles on the route and the open / closed state of barriers, as will be described later.

[0035] If the vehicular communication device 1 does not detect a communication area (S101: NO), it waits, whereas if it detects a communication area (S101: YES), it attempts communication processing (S102). This communication processing is performed according to a well-known procedure for using the ETC system 3, and will be explained briefly here. The vehicular communication device 1 that detected the communication area transmits a communication request, the roadside unit 31 that received the communication request transmits a beacon service table (BST) indicating the services it can provide, and the vehicular communication device 1 that received the BST transmits a vehicle service table (VST) indicating the services it can support, and then transmits its own unique number (WCN). This allows the vehicular communication device 1 to be individually identified, and if the services of the ETC system 3 are available, further processing, such as toll collection, is performed.

[0036] If the vehicle communication device 1 determines that the ETC system 3 is available (S103: YES), it determines that passage through the ETC gate is possible (S104), and proceeds to step S101 to wait for the next communication. At this time, if the communication process ends normally, and it is confirmed based on the ADAS information that there are no other vehicles on the route, and that the gate barrier is open, the vehicle communication device 1 determines that the ETC system 3 is available. Although not shown in the figure, if the vehicle communication device 1 determines that the ETC system 3 is available, it notifies the vehicle control ECU 17 that passage through the ETC gate is possible.

[0037] On the other hand, when the vehicle communication device 1 determines that the ETC system 3 cannot be used (S103: NO), it notifies the remote monitoring device 41 that a malfunction has occurred (S105) and turns on the hazard lights 20 (S106). At this time, the vehicle device 1 determines that the ETC system 3 cannot be used not only when the communication process has failed, but also when there is some kind of obstacle to passing through the ETC gate, such as when the communication process has succeeded but it has been determined that the ETC gate has not been opened based on the ADAS information, or when it has been determined that a preceding vehicle is stuck in the ETC lane. Then, the vehicle communication device 1 notifies that a malfunction has occurred together with an error code and ADAS information indicating the cause of the malfunction, and turns on the hazard lights 20 to notify following vehicles and the like that the vehicle may need to stop.

[0038] Next, when the vehicle communication device 1 receives an instruction from the remote monitoring device 41 (S107), it determines whether the instruction is to re-authenticate the ETC card 5 (S108), and if it is a re-authentication instruction (S108: YES), it re-authenticates the ETC card 5 (S109). Specifically, the vehicle communication device 1 re-authenticates the ETC card 5 by having the ETC processing unit 10c re-execute the process to authenticate the ETC card 5, or by disconnecting and then reconnecting the connection port 12 of the ETC card 5, thereby causing the ETC processing unit 10c to automatically execute the process to authenticate the ETC card 5. In this way, the vehicle communication device 1 executes the process to deal with the malfunction based on the instruction from the remote monitoring device 41, which monitors many vehicles 2 and accumulates information related to the malfunction.

[0039] If the re-authentication is successful (S110: YES), the vehicle communication device 1 requests the roadside device 31 to resume communication (S111). At this time, if a problem occurs within the communication area of ​​the first antenna 37, for example, and the vehicle communication device 1 is out of the communication area of ​​the first antenna 37 at the time the re-authentication is successful, the vehicle communication device 1 requests the resumption of communication with the second antenna 38. As a result, even if the vehicle 2 moves out of the communication area of ​​the first antenna 37, the ETC system 3 can be used by communicating with the second antenna 38.

[0040] Thereafter, if the communication is completed normally (S112: YES), the vehicle communication device 1 turns off the hazard lamps 20 (S113), proceeds to step S104, and determines that it is possible to pass through the ETC gate. In this way, if a problem occurs in authenticating the ETC card 5, the vehicle communication device 1 can enable passage through the ETC gate even when no driver is present by re-authenticating the ETC card 5 based on instructions from the remote monitoring device 41. In other words, the vehicle communication device 1 can deal with problems when using the electronic toll collection system. Note that after executing step S113, the process can also proceed to step S103 to reconfirm that there are no other vehicles on the route and that the ETC gate's opening and closing bar is open.

[0041] Incidentally, when using the ETC system 3, it is expected that problems other than authentication of the ETC card 5 may occur. Furthermore, even if there is a problem with the authentication of the ETC card 5, it is also expected that re-authentication may fail, or even if re-authentication is successful, subsequent communication may fail. Furthermore, such problems may not be resolved in a relatively short time, such as by the time the user reaches the bar at the ETC gate.

[0042] Therefore, when the vehicle communication device 1 receives an instruction that is not for card re-authentication (S108: NO), it notifies the roadside device 31 that a malfunction has occurred (S115). Also, when the vehicle communication device 1 fails to re-authenticate the ETC card 5 (S110: NO) or when the re-authentication is successful but the communication does not end normally (S112: NO), it notifies the remote monitoring device 41 (S114) and then notifies the roadside device 31 (S115).

[0043] By notifying the roadside unit 31 of a malfunction in this way, the roadside unit 31 can notify following vehicles that there is a problem using the ETC gate by, for example, displaying "closed" on the gate indicator 36 or turning on a red light. This makes it possible to quickly notify following vehicles in a situation where there is a possibility that vehicle 2 will be unable to pass through the ETC gate and will have to stop, thereby improving safety. Note that if vehicle 2 is equipped with a so-called vehicle-to-vehicle communication device, it may be configured so that vehicle 2 notifies following vehicles directly.

[0044] After notifying the roadside unit 31 of the malfunction, the vehicle communication device 1 executes processing based on the received instruction, as shown in Fig. 3. For example, when the vehicle communication device 1 receives an instruction to start a call (S116: YES), it activates the call function (S117) and waits for the next instruction. At this time, the vehicle communication device 1 activates the call function by turning on the speaker 24, microphone 25, or camera 26, and then attempts to communicate with the administrator by sending a notification requesting a call to the roadside unit 31 or outputting audio to the intercom 35. This allows the administrator to be notified and a solution to be discussed if there is a malfunction in the authentication of the ETC card 5 or if there is some kind of problem with passing through the ETC gate as described above.

[0045] Furthermore, when the vehicle communication device 1 receives an instruction to move to a pre-set evacuation position (S118: YES), the vehicle communication device 1 notifies the vehicle control ECU 17 of an instruction to move to a pre-set evacuation position (S119). It is assumed that moving to a evacuation position is basically performed after discussion between the operator and the manager, when it is determined that the malfunction cannot be resolved immediately. Therefore, when moving to a evacuation position, the vehicle communication device 1 is performed in a state where safety around the vehicle 2 is ensured, such as when the ETC gate is closed and there are no following vehicles, or when there are no other vehicles on the route to the evacuation position. After moving to the evacuation position, the vehicle communication device 1 waits for an instruction from the remote monitoring device 41, and, for example, when an instruction to stop the engine is received, the vehicle communication device 1 executes a process such as notifying the vehicle control ECU 17 of an instruction to stop the engine.

[0046] Furthermore, when the vehicle communication device 1 receives an instruction to reinsert the ETC card 5 (S120: YES), it operates the insertion / removal mechanism 13 to remove the ETC card 5 once and then reinsert it, thereby removing the ETC card 5 (S121). This enables the vehicle communication device 1 to physically reinsert the ETC card 5 even when the vehicle is unmanned. After that, when the vehicle communication device 1 receives an instruction to recommunicate with the ETC system 3 (S122: YES), it proceeds to step S11 and attempts to recommunicate.

[0047] Furthermore, if the vehicle communication device 1 receives another instruction (S123: YES), it executes the corresponding process (S124). As an example, suppose that after enabling the call function, the operator and the administrator discuss the matter and decide that the administrator should try reinserting the ETC card 5. In this case, the remote monitoring device 41 transmits an instruction to permit insertion and removal of the ETC card 5, and upon receiving this instruction, the vehicle communication device 1 executes a process to set the vehicle communication device 1 to an insertion and removal permitted state. Then, when the administrator tells the operator that he or she has inserted or removed the ETC card 5, the remote monitoring device 41 transmits an instruction to prohibit insertion and removal of the ETC card 5, and upon receiving this instruction, the vehicle communication device 1 executes a process to set the vehicle communication device 1 to an insertion and removal prohibited state.

[0048] The vehicle communication device 1 then authenticates the reinserted ETC card 5, notifies the remote monitoring device 41 if the authentication is successful, and attempts re-communication upon receiving an instruction to re-communicate from the remote monitoring device 41, thereby executing processing to resolve the malfunction. In this way, the vehicle communication device 1 can deal with malfunctions such as the insertion and removal of the ETC card 5 even when there is no driver present and even when the vehicle is unmanned and the insertion and removal mechanism 13 is not provided and automatic insertion and removal of the ETC card 5 is not possible.

[0049] According to the embodiment described above, the following effects can be obtained. The vehicle communication device 1 is mounted on a vehicle 2 capable of automatic driving, and includes a road-to-vehicle communication unit 10a that controls communication with a roadside unit 31 of the automatic toll collection system, a remote communication unit 10b that controls communication with a remote monitoring device 41 that remotely monitors the vehicle 2, an ETC processing unit 10c that executes processing related to the use of the automatic toll collection system, and a fault processing unit 10d that detects malfunctions related to the use of the automatic toll collection system, notifies the remote monitoring device 41 of the detected malfunction, and executes processing to deal with the malfunction in accordance with instructions from the remote monitoring device 41 regarding the notified malfunction.

[0050] In this way, by executing processing to deal with malfunctions based on instructions from the remote monitoring device 41, it is possible to deal with malfunctions that occur when using the electronic toll collection system, even when the driver is not present in the autonomously driven vehicle 2. Furthermore, it is assumed that the remote monitoring device 41, which monitors many vehicles 2, has accumulated a large amount of information on similar malfunctions and how to deal with them. Therefore, by configuring the system to deal with malfunctions based on instructions from the remote monitoring device 41, it is expected that appropriate and reliable measures will be taken against any malfunctions that occur.

[0051] Furthermore, the ETC processing unit 10c of the vehicle communication device 1 executes a process to authenticate the ETC card 5, and when the malfunction processing unit 10d detects a malfunction in the authentication of the ETC card 5, it notifies the remote monitoring device 41 that a malfunction has occurred in the authentication of the ETC card 5, and when it receives an instruction to re-authenticate the ETC card 5 from the remote monitoring device 41, it causes the ETC processing unit 10c to re-execute the process to authenticate the ETC card 5. This allows the ETC card 5 to be re-authenticated without physically inserting or removing the ETC card 5, even when the driver is not present.

[0052] Furthermore, the ETC processing unit 10c of the vehicle communication device 1 executes a process to authenticate the ETC card 5 when the ETC card 5 is connected, and the malfunction processing unit 10d shuts off the connection port 12 of the ETC card 5 and then reconnects it, causing the ETC processing unit 10c to automatically execute a process to authenticate the ETC card 5. This allows the ETC card 5 to be re-authenticated without physically inserting or removing the ETC card 5, even when the driver is not present.

[0053] Furthermore, when the fault processing unit 10d of the vehicle communication device 1 detects a fault, it executes a process to turn on the hazard flasher indicator light mounted on the vehicle 2. This makes it possible to notify following vehicles of the fault in a situation where there is a possibility of blocking an ETC gate, for example, thereby improving safety. Furthermore, by executing a process to turn on the hazard flasher indicator light when it is expected that it will take time to resolve the fault, as in this embodiment, it is possible to reduce the possibility of excessive lighting of the hazard flasher indicator light and causing traffic congestion, etc.

[0054] Furthermore, when a malfunction is detected, the malfunction processing unit 10d of the vehicle communication device 1 enables a call between an administrator who manages the roadside device 31 and the remote monitoring device 41. This makes it possible to deal with malfunctions that cannot be resolved by the vehicle communication device 1 or the remote monitoring device 41. Furthermore, by detecting a malfunction based on the ADAS information notified from the vehicle control ECU 18 as in the embodiment, the vehicle device 1 can also deal with malfunctions that it cannot detect by itself, such as the movement of other vehicles on the route.

[0055] Furthermore, when the fault processing unit 10d of the vehicle communication device 1 detects a fault, it notifies the roadside device 31 of the occurrence of the fault. This enables the roadside device 31 to display the gate indicator 36 as "closed" or to turn the signal red, thereby improving safety by informing following vehicles that there is a problem with using the ETC gate.

[0056] Furthermore, when the malfunction is resolved, the malfunction processing unit 10d of the vehicle communication device 1 requests the roadside unit 31 to resume communication for using the electronic toll collection system. This makes it possible to prevent a situation in which the vehicle is unable to pass through an ETC gate even though the malfunction has been resolved. In this case, if the roadside unit 31 is provided with multiple antennas as in the embodiment, even if a malfunction occurs in the first communication area, communication can be resumed in the next communication area, further reducing the possibility of blocking the ETC gate.

[0057] Furthermore, the malfunction processing unit 10d of the vehicle communication device 1 moves the vehicle 2 to an evacuation location when the ETC gate becomes impassable. This prevents the ETC gate from being blocked even when the vehicle is unmanned. In this case, safety can be ensured by moving the vehicle to the evacuation location after discussing with the administrator, as in the embodiment.

[0058] Furthermore, the fault processing unit 10d of the vehicle communication device 1 switches between an insertion / removal prohibited state that prohibits the insertion and removal of the ETC card 5 and an insertion / removal permitted state that permits the insertion and removal of the ETC card 5, based on instructions from the remote monitoring device 41. As a result, the insertion / removal prohibited state basically prevents theft of the ETC card 5 from an unmanned vehicle 2, and by switching to the insertion / removal permitted state if it is decided to insert or remove the ETC card 5 after discussion with the administrator, measures such as reinsertion of the ETC card 5 can be taken even when the vehicle is unmanned.

[0059] Furthermore, the fault processing unit 10d of the vehicle communication device 1 operates the insertion / removal mechanism 13 that inserts and removes the ETC card 5 based on instructions from the remote monitoring device 41. This allows for measures such as reinserting the ETC card 5 to be taken whether the vehicle is unmanned or not.

[0060] The remote communication system 4 includes a remote monitoring device 41 that remotely monitors an autonomously driven vehicle 2, and a vehicle communication device 1 that is mounted on the vehicle 2. The vehicle communication device 1 includes a road-to-vehicle communication unit 10a that controls communication with a roadside unit 31 of the electronic toll collection system, a remote communication unit 10b that controls communication with the remote monitoring device 41 that remotely monitors the vehicle 2, an ETC processing unit 10c that executes processing related to the use of the electronic toll collection system, and a fault processing unit 10d that detects a fault related to the use of the electronic toll collection system, notifies the remote monitoring device 41 of the detected fault, and executes processing to deal with the fault in accordance with instructions from the remote monitoring device 41 regarding the notified fault.

[0061] Such a remote communication system 4 can also provide the same various effects as the vehicle communication device 1, such as being able to deal with malfunctions more reliably by dealing with malfunctions based on instructions from the remote monitoring device 41, and being able to deal with malfunctions when using the automatic toll collection system even when there is no driver in the vehicle 2 capable of automatic driving.

[0062] In the embodiment, a configuration has been exemplified in which the ETC card 5 is re-authenticated based on an instruction from the remote monitoring device 41, but a malfunction may occur in communication with the remote monitoring device 41. For this reason, the malfunction processing unit 10d of the vehicle communication device 1 can be configured to communicate with the roadside device 31, and upon receiving an instruction to re-authenticate the ETC card 5 from the roadside device 31, cause the ETC processing unit 10c to execute processing to authenticate the ETC card 5. This makes it possible to deal with malfunctions that occur when using the electronic toll collection system, even if communication with the remote monitoring device 41 is not possible.

[0063] (Second embodiment) The second embodiment will be described below. For the sake of simplicity, the vehicle communication device 1 is denoted by the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment.

[0064] In the first embodiment, we have mainly described how to deal with problems when passing through an ETC gate, but it is also assumed that problems with the ETC card 5 may occur due to vibrations or the like while the vehicle 2 is traveling normally. In such cases, the driver has conventionally been able to know the authentication status of the ETC card 5 and the operating status of the vehicle communication device 1 when the device is started up or while traveling. However, in the case of autonomous driving level 4, there is a risk that the remote monitoring device 41 may not be able to grasp these information.

[0065] Therefore, the vehicle communication device 1 of this embodiment is configured to periodically check the operating state using the fault processing unit 10d and notify the remote monitoring device 41 of the monitoring result. Here, "periodically" means a state where a condition is met, such as every time the power is turned on and the vehicle 2 starts up, every time the vehicle 2 travels a predetermined distance, or every time a predetermined time has passed since the previous authentication, and further includes a combination of multiple conditions, such as every time the power is turned on and the vehicle 2 travels a predetermined distance.

[0066] Specifically, the vehicle communication device 1 periodically executes the process shown in Fig. 4 and determines whether the ETC card 5 can be authenticated (S201), which is one of the malfunctions. Note that authentication malfunctions are assumed to occur frequently due to vibrations and the like, so they are taken up here as a representative example, but other malfunctions are also periodically checked as described below.

[0067] If the vehicular communication device 1 has authenticated the ETC card 5 (S201: YES), the vehicular communication device 1 ends the process. On the other hand, if the vehicular communication device 1 has not authenticated the ETC card 5 (S201: NO), the vehicular communication device 1 notifies the remote monitoring device 41 that there is a problem with the authentication (S202), and upon receiving an instruction to perform re-authentication from the remote monitoring device 41 (S203), the vehicular communication device 1 re-authenticates the ETC card 5 (S204). At this time, the vehicular communication device 1 re-executes the process to authenticate the ETC card 5 as described in the first embodiment, or by turning the connection port 12 off and then on again, thereby re-authenticating the ETC card 5.

[0068] Next, if the re-authentication is successful (S205: YES), the vehicle communication device 1 ends the process. On the other hand, if the re-authentication is not successful (S205: NO), the vehicle communication device 1 notifies the remote monitoring device 41 of the failure of the re-authentication (S206), determines whether or not an instruction has been received from the remote monitoring device 41 (S207), and if an instruction has not been received (S207: NO), the vehicle communication device 1 waits.

[0069] On the other hand, when the vehicle communication device 1 receives an instruction from the remote monitoring device 41 (S207: YES), it executes the corresponding process (S208). For example, when the vehicle communication device 1 receives an instruction to insert or remove the ETC card 5 described in the first embodiment, it drives the insertion / removal mechanism 13 to execute the process of physically inserting or removing the ETC card 5. Note that after executing the process according to the instruction, it is also possible to further execute re-authentication of the ETC card 5.

[0070] If the ETC card 5 has been authenticated (S201: YES), the vehicle communication device 1 further determines whether the vehicle communication device 1 is operating normally (S209), and if it is operating normally (S209: YES), ends the process. At this time, the vehicle communication device 1 determines whether the vehicle communication device 1 is operating normally, including whether there is a malfunction with the ETC card 5, such as the expiration date of the ETC card 5 or an inability to read or write information.

[0071] When the vehicle communication device 1 detects any malfunction, it determines that the device is not operating normally (S209: NO) and notifies the remote monitoring device 41 of the malfunction (S210), after which the process proceeds to step S207 and executes processing in accordance with an instruction from the remote monitoring device 41. Thereafter, it can further determine whether the malfunction of the vehicle communication device 1 has been resolved.

[0072] In this way, the vehicle communication device 1 periodically checks for any problems with the authentication of the ETC card 5 or any problems with the vehicle communication device 1. This makes it possible to know if there is a problem with the use of the ETC system 3 and to resolve the problem, even before entering the ETC gate, for example. Furthermore, although not shown in the figures, if the ETC card 5 has been authenticated or the vehicle communication device 1 is operating normally, it is also possible to notify the remote monitoring device 41 that no problem has occurred. This makes it possible to record the content of the problem, the time of occurrence, and the like as a so-called log.

[0073] Up to this point, we have been assuming the situation after the setup of the ETC card 5 has been completed, but it is believed that convenience would be further improved if the setup of the ETC card 5 could also be performed remotely. For this reason, the vehicle communication device 1 of this embodiment is equipped with a setup processing unit 10e for setting up the ETC card 5, as shown in Fig. 5. This setup processing unit 10e is realized in software by executing a program in the control unit 10, but some or all of its functions can also be realized in hardware.

[0074] Furthermore, in relation to the setup of the ETC card 5, the vehicle communication device 1 is capable of reading and writing various information from and to a vehicle DB 61 that stores vehicle information and vehicle inspection certificate information via the vehicle control ECU 17. The vehicle communication device 1 is also connected to an HMI 62, which is configured, for example, with a liquid crystal display or a touch panel, via the vehicle control ECU 17, and is capable of accepting various operations from the HMI 62. Note that DB stands for Database, and HMI 62 stands for Human Machine Interface. The vehicle communication device 1 may also be provided with a device equivalent to the HMI 62.

[0075] The setup processing unit 10e executes a process of transmitting application information required for applying for an ETC card 5 to the remote monitoring device 41, a process of receiving setup information for setting up the ETC card 5 from the remote monitoring device 41, and a process of using the setup information to set up the ETC card 5. The setup processing unit 10e also executes a process of receiving at least a part of the application information from the remote monitoring device 41 and storing it in the storage unit 11, and a process of reading out the application information from the storage unit 11 and transmitting it to the remote monitoring device 41 in response to an instruction from the remote monitoring device 41.

[0076] When setting up the ETC card 5, it is necessary to insert the ETC card 5 into the vehicle communication device 1 once, and this operation is performed manually. Therefore, the processing flow of the vehicle communication device 1 during setup will be described below with reference to the sequence diagram shown in FIG.

[0077] To set up the ETC card 5, first, the ETC card 5 is inserted into the vehicle communication device 1 (T201). Then, information required for the setup is transmitted from the remote monitoring device 41 to the vehicle communication device 1, or input by the operator via the HMI 62. This allows the vehicle communication device 1 to acquire the information required for the setup. The information required for the setup may be, for example, a credit card, a financial institution account, or information for so-called identity verification.

[0078] Next, the vehicle communication device 1 registers the acquired information in the vehicle DB 61 (T202), and upon receiving an instruction to create application information from the remote monitoring device 41, acquires vehicle information, vehicle inspection certificate information, etc. from the vehicle DB 61 (T203). Note that the vehicle information, vehicle inspection certificate information, etc. are assumed to be stored in advance in the vehicle DB 61 in preparation for, for example, applying for permission to operate with autonomous driving.

[0079] Then, the vehicular communication device 1 creates application information required to apply for the ETC card 5 based on the acquired information, and transmits the created application information to the business operator server 32 (T205). In this case, the vehicular communication device 1 transmits the application information to the remote monitoring device 41, and the remote monitoring device 41 transmits the application information to the business operator server 32 and applies for use of the ETC system 3. Note that if the vehicular communication device 1 can directly communicate with the business operator server 32 via, for example, a cellular terminal, the vehicular communication device 1 can also transmit application information to the business operator server 32, apply for use, and acquire setup information from the business operator server 32.

[0080] The business operator server 32, which has received the application information and the application for use, checks the application contents and transmits setup information required for setup to the remote monitoring device 41. Then, the remote monitoring device 41 transmits the received setup information to the vehicle communication device 1 and instructs the vehicle communication device 1 to perform setup.

[0081] The vehicle communication device 1 that has been instructed to perform setup sets up the ETC card 5 based on the setup information (S206) and authenticates the ETC card 5 (S207). At this time, the vehicle communication device 1 executes the process shown in Fig. 4 above and notifies the remote monitoring device 41 of the authentication result of the ETC card 5 and whether or not there is a malfunction in the vehicle communication device 1.

[0082] If the ETC card 5 has been properly authenticated, the remote monitoring device 41 instructs the prohibition of insertion and removal of the ETC card 5, and accordingly sets the vehicle communication device 1 to an insertion and removal prohibited state. This makes it impossible to insert or remove the ETC card 5 once the procedures for using the ETC system 3 have been completed, making it possible to prepare for the unlikely event of theft, etc. If there is a problem with the authentication of the ETC card 5 or the vehicle communication device 1, the remote monitoring device 41 will instruct the problem to be resolved.

[0083] According to the embodiment described above, the following effects can be obtained. The fault processing unit 10d of the vehicle communication device 1 periodically notifies the remote monitoring device 41 of the operating status of the vehicle communication device 1. This makes it possible to detect and deal with faults before the ETC system 3 is actually used, for example, at a toll booth. Therefore, it is possible to deal with faults that occur when the ETC system 3 is used even when the driver of the autonomously driven vehicle 2 is not present.

[0084] The vehicle communication device 1 also includes a setup processing unit 10e that executes a process of transmitting application information required for applying for an ETC card 5 to the remote monitoring device 41, a process of receiving setup information for setting up the ETC card 5 from the remote monitoring device 41, and a process of setting up the ETC card 5 using the setup information. This allows setup for using the ETC system 3 to be performed remotely in a vehicle 2 that is basically capable of unmanned operation, such as autonomous driving level 4.

[0085] 4, or by combining the ETC card 5 setup process with the first embodiment, it becomes possible to update the ETC card 5 even in situations where the ETC card 5 has expired while driving across two dates, making it possible to deal with problems that may occur when using the ETC system 3, even in the case of autonomous driving level 4, which is essentially unmanned driving. Also, it becomes possible to discover and deal with problems at a stage prior to actual communication with the ETC system 3, as explained in the first embodiment, thereby improving convenience.

[0086] The control unit and the method described herein may be implemented by a special-purpose computer configured by configuring a processor and memory programmed to perform one or more functions embodied in a computer program. Alternatively, the control unit and the method described herein may be implemented by a special-purpose computer configured by configuring a processor with one or more dedicated hardware logic circuits. Alternatively, the control unit and the method described herein may be implemented by one or more special-purpose computers configured by combining a processor and memory programmed to perform one or more functions with a processor configured with one or more hardware logic circuits. Furthermore, the computer program may be stored as instructions executed by a computer on a computer-readable non-transitory tangible storage medium. [Explanation of symbols]

[0087] In the drawings, 1 indicates a vehicle communication device, 2 indicates a vehicle, 3 indicates an ETC system, 5 indicates an ETC card, 10a indicates a road-to-vehicle communication unit, 10b indicates a remote communication unit, 10c indicates an ETC processing unit, 10d indicates a malfunction processing unit, 10e indicates a setup processing unit, 12 indicates a connection port, 13 indicates an insertion / removal mechanism, 20 indicates a hazard lamp, 31 indicates a roadside unit, and 41 indicates a remote monitoring device.

Claims

1. A device mounted on an autonomously driven vehicle (2), a road-to-vehicle communication unit (10a) for controlling communication with a roadside unit (31) of an electronic toll collection system (3); a remote communication unit (10b) for controlling communication with a remote monitoring device (41) for remotely monitoring the vehicle; an ETC processing unit (10c) for executing processing related to the use of an electronic toll collection system; a fault processing unit (10d) that detects a fault related to the use of the electronic toll collection system, notifies the remote monitoring device of the detected fault, and executes a process to deal with the fault in accordance with an instruction from the remote monitoring device for the notified fault; A vehicle communication device comprising:

2. The ETC processing unit executes a process for authenticating an ETC card (5) for use in an electronic toll collection system, 2. The vehicle communication device according to claim 1, wherein, when the malfunction processing unit detects a malfunction in the authentication of the ETC card, it notifies the remote monitoring device that a malfunction has occurred in the authentication of the ETC card, and when it receives an instruction from the remote monitoring device to re-authenticate the ETC card, it causes the ETC processing unit to re-execute the process of authenticating the ETC card.

3. the ETC processing unit executes a process of authenticating an ETC card when the ETC card is connected to use an electronic toll collection system; 2. The vehicle communication device according to claim 1, wherein the malfunction processing unit automatically causes the ETC processing unit to perform a process of authenticating the ETC card by disconnecting and then reconnecting the ETC card connection port (12).

4. 2. The vehicle communication device according to claim 1, wherein the malfunction processing unit executes a process of turning on an emergency flasher (20) mounted on the vehicle when a malfunction is detected.

5. 2. The vehicle communication device according to claim 1, wherein the failure processing unit enables a call between an administrator who manages the roadside device and an operator who monitors the remote monitoring device when a failure is detected.

6. 2. The vehicle communication device according to claim 1, wherein the fault processing unit notifies the roadside unit of the occurrence of a fault when the fault processing unit detects a fault.

7. 7. The vehicle communication device according to claim 6, wherein the malfunction processing unit causes the ETC processing unit to execute a process to authenticate the ETC card when it receives an instruction from the roadside unit to re-authenticate the ETC card for use in the electronic toll collection system.

8. 7. The vehicle communication device according to claim 6, wherein the malfunction processing unit requests the roadside unit to resume communication for use of an electronic toll collection system when the malfunction has been resolved.

9. 2. The vehicle communication device according to claim 1, wherein the failure processing unit periodically notifies the remote monitoring device of the operating state of the vehicle communication device.

10. 2. The vehicle communication device according to claim 1, wherein the malfunction processing unit moves the vehicle to an evacuation location when the vehicle is unable to pass through an ETC gate of an electronic toll collection system.

11. The vehicle communication device of claim 1, wherein the malfunction processing unit switches between an insertion / removal prohibited state that prohibits the insertion / removal of an ETC card for using the automatic toll collection system and an insertion / removal permitted state that permits the insertion / removal of the ETC card based on instructions from the remote monitoring device.

12. 12. The vehicle communication device according to claim 11, wherein the malfunction processing unit operates an insertion / removal mechanism (13) for physically inserting and removing the ETC card based on an instruction from the remote monitoring device.

13. The vehicle communication device according to claim 1, further comprising a setup processing unit (10e) that executes the following processes: a process of transmitting application information required for applying for an ETC card to use an electronic toll collection system to the remote monitoring device; a process of receiving setup information for setting up the ETC card from the remote monitoring device; and a process of setting up the ETC card using the setup information.

14. a remote monitoring device (41) for remotely monitoring an autonomously driven vehicle (2); a vehicle device (1) mounted on the vehicle, the vehicle device having a road-to-vehicle communication unit (10a) that controls communication with a roadside unit (31) of the electronic toll collection system (3), a remote communication unit (10b) that controls communication with the remote monitoring device, an ETC processing unit (10c) that executes processing related to the use of the electronic toll collection system, and a fault processing unit (10d) that detects a fault related to the use of the electronic toll collection system, notifies the remote monitoring device of the detected fault, and executes processing to deal with the fault in accordance with an instruction from the remote monitoring device for the notified fault; A telecommunications system comprising:

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